In His Eyes
by Maxine101
Summary: Renji loves Byakuya, but won't say anything. He's also the only one who knows his Captain well enough to read his every emotion. When Byakuya is injured, Renji is the only one who knows what agony his Captain is in. Hopefully, Byakuya will learn to love Renji back.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Hello everyone! This is my first Bleach fic and I want to apologize. No, I don't think it's going to be a bad fic (please don't run away!) but it isn't beta'd and I'm not exactly up-to-date on the whole Bleach show or Manga. As far as I still know (except that I've read a bunch of Bleach fanfics and I know better) everyone is still in Hueco Mundo. So... please let me know where I make ghaffs. I love hearing from you, and you help me to write better! Thank you, and please enjoy!

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Renji wasn't stupid. Most people didn't think he was stupid per se, but his loud and brash manner kept people from seeing his true cunning. His gutter trash past and abrasive tendencies did keep him back, but one thing he did well was read people. Reading people was an invaluable skill to have in the Seireitei, especially when his captain was mister-no-expression Kuchiki Byakuya.

Captain Kuchiki was a calm man with a quiet fierceness that scared the shit out of most shinigami. However, Renji knew how to read his captain. He could tell from the subtle tensing of the Captain's jaw that he'd managed to piss the other off and was about to be on the receiving end of a lecture. He could see the flash of humor in a quick quirk of Kuchiki's lips when he'd managed to amuse the severe man. He could tell from the flat look in Byakuya's eyes when the man was bored out of his mind with paperwork and needed a tea break.

From these subtle signs Renji had managed to become the exact vice-captain that the Sixth Division needed – a perfect counterbalance to his captain's stark strength and absolute rule. He was the guy that the other officers could go to when they had questions. Renji was the person who dealt with complaints and conflicts, and he was often the bridge between the Sixth Division ant the others of the Gotei 13. He was the human half of the Sixth Division's leadership, complete with his own faults.

He could do this because he knew Byakuya. He could read Byakuya and derive meaning from the few hints his Captain dropped. It made him the peacekeeper of the Division, and the only person besides Rukia who could be considered close to the austere man.

He'd also been able to recognize the hidden qualities of Byakuya's countenance that he admired, such as the hidden sense of humor and his hidden sensitivity. Over time, Renji had realized that he the stark man had – dare he think it – feelings.

He also recognized that Byakuya still felt the pain of his wife's death very deeply, and hadn't looked for new love since, even though the wound of her passing seemed to be slowly healing. Rukia filled some of the empty space left by her death, but it wasn't a place that Renji wanted to fill until it had healed and his Captain was ready to move on. Although Renji had fallen in love with Byakuya, he wasn't looking for a relationship with him. Honestly, he wouldn't know where to begin with a romantic relationship. He'd never really had one of those before. Sex, sure, but never romance.

Not that romance wasn't his thing! He just… wasn't expecting it. He liked the idea of a romance as much as the next guy, but he didn't think he'd ever be swept off his feet. Nor did he expect to sweep anyone else off their feet. For Heaven's sake, he hadn't even been able to grab Rukia's attention back when he had a thing for her. Now, with his love for Byakuya, his feelings of brotherly love toward her had a sort of irony to them.

In dealing with his captain, though, his feelings couldn't show through. If Byakuya ever caught wind of Renji's feelings… well, Renji didn't know that Byakuya would do anything. If the Captain did respond to Renji's attraction, he would probably deny them. For all Renji knew about Byakuya, he didn't know if the other man was at all open to a homosexual relationship.

And that's what Renji wanted – a relationship. He'd done friends with benefits before and one-night-stands, but those tended to either get messy or left him feeling empty afterwards. As it was, he'd been celibate for… for… for way too long if he couldn't figure out how long it had been since he'd gotten laid.

Since the whole Aizen thing, though, he'd been too busy with his role as Vice-Captain and the increase in hollow activity since Ichigo had become a substitute shinigami.

Speaking of Ichigo… the dork was in the Seireitei and in Renji's and Byakuya's office watching Renji sign papers and compile duty rosters. "Dude, how do you put up with all the paperwork bull crap?" Ichigo asked after about twenty minutes of being ignored.

"It's my job," Renji snapped as he moved a paper from the "working on it" pile to the "get it the fuck out of my office" pile.

"But, Man, this can't be everything you do," Ichigo said, sounding horrified. Renji looked at him and ground his teeth in irritation.

"Of course it isn't!" he gritted out. "I train my troops, organize duties and responsibilities, solve disputes, and administer discipline. I'm keeping everything going, and paperwork is part of that." It was part of it for two and a half torturous days a week, and he slacked off on it whenever he thought he could get away with it.

"It sucks," Ichigo said simply.

Renji barked out a laugh. "Yeah, it sucks major ass."

Both young men laughed for a moment before they settled back into camaraderie. Byakuya, who was quietly working behind his desk, hadn't batted an eyelash, so Renji figured he wasn't irritated with Ichigo's presence yet. However, Renji was feeling the need to move, so he offered his captain and his guest some tea before going to make it.

Once Ichigo had his tea, though, he started the subject Renji had figured was the real reason he'd come to visit him in the Seireitei. "Umm… I know you guys have relationships and everything – you are people and all – but Renji, do you have someone you like?" Ichigo asked.

Renji sprayed out his mouthful of tea all over his desk in surprise. "What the Hell?!" he demanded as he strode over to Byakuya's desk and grabbed the box of tissues taking up residence on the corner. He started blotting his papers as she shot a glare at Ichigo. "Why are you asking me _that_?"

"Well, I got the feeling that you and Rukia used to have a thing with each other, and with how you tried to protect her when she was sentenced to death and how nice you are to her and everything, I was wondering if you had a thing for her?" Ichigo was watching Renji with a serious expression, so Renji sat at his desk and responded in the same vein.

"Rukia and I were orphans in the poor part of Soul Society. We depended on each other and we have a close friendship. I used to see her in a sort of romantic way, I guess, but now she's more like a sister to me. If you want to make a move on her, you better not fuck it up."

Ichigo seemed to think about Renji's words for a minute before he said, "I wasn't actually asking for your permission to date her, you know."

Renji rolled his eyes. "You were asking if I'd be butt hurt if you did," he said before chugging his tea. He set the cup on his desk with a bang and glared at his friend. "I'll be pissed if you hurt her, but you aren't taking her away from me or anything. I don't own her. Even if I did, she wouldn't listen to me anyway."

Ichigo seemed to laugh reluctantly and ruffled his hair with one hand. "That was part of it," he admitted. "The other thing was that Rukia and I were talking with Kon, and the little bastard wondered if you had anyone. Then Rukia started to seriously worry about it, so I got sent over here to ask you."

Rukia was worried about Renji's love life? Seriously? She was usually pretty oblivious to that kind of thing. And what was that dumb-ass mod-soul doing asking about him? That little toy always brought up shit that just made life more uncomfortable. More importantly, though… "What did you get sent over here to ask, exactly?" he demanded.

"Is there anybody you're interested in?" Ichigo asked, looking Renji in the eyes.

Renji sighed and sat back in his chair, seriously considering Ichigo's question. If Rukia was worried about it… he couldn't half-ass it. But, the Captain was right there pretending he wasn't listening in. He couldn't be completely honest because of it. "I have an interest," he finally said. "It probably won't work out, so I'm not putting any effort into it."

That seemed to surprise Ichigo. "Really? No effort?"

"No," Renji snapped and pulled another sheet of paper off the "Do it, Dammit" pile and started pretending to look it over.

"Dude, if you don't put any effort into it, then you're just going to fail!"

Renji snorted. "No kidding."

"But…"

"Tell Rukia that if she's going to worry about my love life then she'd better get hers sorted out first," Renji snapped.

Ichigo seemed to freeze. "She isn't really worried…"

"Either way," Renji said, cutting Ichigo off, "she can come over here and ask me herself when I'm at home. I'm at work right now and my boss is going to kill me if I don't get something done."

"But…"

"I've got work to do!" Renji snapped. He glanced at Byakuya, whose dark eyes were watching him intently, mild irritation showing along with interest and mild puzzlement. "My captain is right there, so now is not the time to discuss this."

Ichigo seemed to weigh his options before he stood up. "Okay, then. I'll see you later, I guess."

"Yeah," Renji said, feeling a little embarrassed for snapping at his friend like he had. "Later."

Ichigo got up and left. As his massive spiritual pressure receded down the hall, the Captain turned to Renji and just stared at him quietly. Reading the look in Kuchiki's eyes he said, "Sorry, Captain, it won't happen again."

Byakuya regarded Renji thoughtfully before he said, "As of late you have been working harder than usual. A little time spent with friends may be good for you."

Renji glanced at his captain with his mouth agape. "Seriously, Captain? You aren't telling me I need to work harder?"

Byakuya's eyes traveled to Renji's "Get This Shit Out Of Here" pile. "You seem to have been very productive today. If you would like, you may go home for the day."

"Thanks Captain!" Renji shouted as he jumped out of his chair and headed for the door. "See you tomorrow!"

Then he was gone.

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

Renji's apartment was a dump. It was a simple apartment near the Gotei 13, but he rarely bothered to clean it. Dirty clothes were piled in one corner of his one room studio apartment while clean clothes were piled in another. His futon was laid out between the piles and dirty dishes had piled up in the sink and overflowed onto the counter on the other side of the room. It was not a fit place for visitors, which was fine since he never had visitors. If he hung out with his friends they usually met at a bar or something.

Which is why he was surprised when there was a knock on his door.

Which is why he was even more surprised to see Rukia standing on his doorstep.

"Think of me like a sister, eh?" she asked as she pushed her way into his apartment.

"Well, I don't feel like banging you right now," he grumbled as she plopped down on his futon – the only furniture in the small space to sit on that wasn't the floor.

"But it makes me wonder who you do feel like 'banging,'" she grumbled back. "I can hardly seeing you having this long of a dry spell."

"Oh, please," Renji said with a roll of his eyes as he took a seat facing Rukia on the floor. It hadn't been swept in a long time, but a little dust on the butt didn't hurt anyone. "I can live without sex."

"Renji, do you even like girls?" Rukia asked, genuine concern showing in her eyes.

Renji shrugged. "I like girls just fine," he replied.

"Then who is it you are in love with?" Rukia asked. She paused for a moment before she got a disgusted look on her face. "You don't have a thing for Matsumoto, do you?"

Renji let a dreamy look morph his face. "Matsumoto's boobs are beautiful, aren't they?" he asked, expecting the sharp punch to arm. He started laughing as Rukia started winding up for a second punch and he raised his arms in surrender. "Kidding! Just kidding!"

Rukia backed off after a moment and simply stared at her friend. Renji couldn't help but notice how many of Byakuya's small, quiet mannerisms she'd managed to pick up during her time living with the Kuchikis. The question she asked wasn't unexpected, but it wasn't welcome, either. "So, who is it that you like, but can't have?"

Time for an honest answer. He loved her too much to hide this from her. "I like Kuchiki Byakuya," he admitted.

She didn't react right away, almost like the information had to sink in. Then she nodded. "You would be very good for him," she said with acceptance. "I didn't honestly think you were gay, though."

He snorted and poked her in the knee. "I'm not _gay_. I just… really like Byakuya. And I know that he's not really looking for someone right now, so I'm not going to pursue it. Maybe someday when he's finally over your sister's death I'll give it a try, but not now."

Rukia thought about that before nodding in agreement. "When did you become so wise?" she asked.

Renji shrugged. "I didn't know I was wise."

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

In the middle of the night there was a hard knock on Renji's door, rousing him from sleep. Outside the door was a messenger from the Fourth Division. "Vice-Captain Abarai Renji?" the little man asked.

"Yeah?" Renji asked in a sleep-thickened voice. The Fourth Division didn't send out personal messengers in the dead of night unless something important had happened and a Hell Butterfly wasn't enough incentive to drag a person out of bed (or loud enough to wake someone who slept as heavily as Renji tended to).

"There was a hollow attack in the Human world," the messenger explained meekly. "Your Captain along with a small team responded, and they were all injured. They are back at the hospital now, and your presence is required."

"Did anyone die?" Renji asked as he stepped out into the hall and closed the door behind him. He locked the door with the keys he'd thrown on the floor near the door and pocketed them as he followed the messenger.

"No one died," the messenger replied as they quickly traveled to the Fourth Division medical facility. "Captain Kuchiki is the worst injured with a broken arm, three broken ribs and a few cracked, and a concussion. He was seriously injured protecting the others and fighting the two Adjuchas off. As the second in command of his division you have some paperwork to fill out, so Captain Unohana requested your presence."

Once they got to the hospital wing of Fourth Division the messenger took Renji directly to Byakuya's room, where Unohana was writing something on a clipboard as she stood over the Captain's bed. Byakuya himself was awake and glaring angrily up at the female captain, but he sat there quietly with his hands folded in his lap, waiting patiently for Unohana to finish what she was doing.

"What the Hell? Captain, I thought you'd be knocked out or something," Renji said as he walked fully into the room. "Where are your broken ribs? Where's you concussion?"

"I have healed most of his injuries, Abarai-san," Captain Unohana said as she hung the clipboard on the end of Byakuya's bed. "I repaired most of the damage to his head and fixed his broken bones, but they are fragile right now. The cracked ribs will mend fully by themselves so he will have to be careful, but with a few days of rest he should be fine." The way she was glaring at Byakuya didn't bode well, considering how cool and unflappable Captain Unohana usually was.

"Uh-oh. Captain, what did you do to piss Captain Unohana off?" Renji asked his captain. As he figured, Byakuya didn't respond (although, he did look a little guilty).

Unohana answered for him. "He was very brave in battle. He'd returned to your office for some papers and found a few unseated officers drinking in a hallway. While he was scolding them, news of a Menos Grande came, so he and the unseated officers traveled to the real world to fight it."

"That's pretty brave," Renji agreed as he took a seat in the chair by his captain's bed.

"As it turns out," Unohana snapped, shooting a glare down at Byakuya, "the news he received was wrong. It wasn't a Menos Grande, but two Adjuchas that had been surrounded by about ten Gillians. And your Captain had four drunken boys with him. He's lucky he was there to save them, because without him they would have been dead. As it was, Ichigo Kurosaki and the drunks were able to bring him and two of the boys back." She shot Byakuya another angry look before turning back to Renji. "He'll be discharged once you fill out his medical paperwork. I've removed him from active duty for two days, so if he comes into the office you are to escort him home. Is that understood, Vice-Captain?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Renji said as he jumped to his feet and gave her a salute. An unseated officer came in and handed him some forms, so he set to work on them while Captain Unohana did some last minute lecturing. When Byakuya was finally released, it was up to Renji to take him home.

"Captain, are you up to walking?" he asked as they stepped out into the warm night air.

"I am perfectly fine, Abarai. You are not needed beyond this point."

His words were curtly said, but the look in Byakuya's eyes spoke of exhaustion. Instead of stepping back and letting his Captain have his way, Renji said, "Sorry, Captain, but when the Captain of the Fourth Division gives me orders, I follow them. She said to take you home, so I'm taking you home."

Byakuya looked irritated, but he silently turned and started heading toward the Kuchiki Manor. Renji followed a polite step behind him, but kept his eye on the other man. Byakuya made it past the gate to his front door just fine, but the look in his eyes as he turned back toward Renji for a moment was full of anxiety. It was almost as if he didn't really want to go inside.

"Hey, Captain, are you sure you're okay?" Renji asked.

"I am fine," Byakuya repeated as he stepped inside the door, but Renji stopped the it before it could close.

"Either way, Captain, I'm a little worried. I heard you were concussed. Would it be okay if I stayed over tonight, just to make sure Captain Unohana didn't miss anything?"

"You doubt the abilities of the Captain of the Fourth Division?" Byakuya demanded.

"Of course not, Captain. I'm just…" he took a deep breath, ready to do battle with words. "I don't know any healing, so a lot of that stuff I take with a grain of salt. I'd worry less if I was nearby."

Surprisingly, there was no battle. Byakuya gave a resigned sigh, but his eyes looked relieved. "Fine. You may stay in the servant quarters attached to my room – for tonight only. Tomorrow you need to be in the office on time, because I am not to be there."

Renji felt his face break out into a huge grin. "No problem, Captain!" he said as he pushed his way into the Kuchiki manor and closed the door behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I suppose I should warn for Renji's potty mouth. Also, thank you to my reviewer. I'm glad you enjoyed reading chapter 1, and I do intent to continue with this story :D Also, this story isn't set at any given time. I probably won't mention much of anything in Canon, so if there are discrepancies I'm sorry. It's still not beta'd.

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Byakuya rolled over on his futon very carefully, but when that just hurt his injured ribs he gingerly moved back onto his back. He could hear Abarai's snores from the other room easily. His Vice-Captain had "subtly" left the connecting door ajar when he'd gone to bed, but Byakuya had been aware of every move the redhead had made. He'd seen Abarai watching him as they left the hospital. He'd watched as Abarai checked his eyes before offering to stay. How had he known that the last thing Byakuya had wanted was to be alone in his room tonight?

All in all, it had been a completely rotten day. Kurosaki had visited, asking questions of Abarai that were completely inappropriate at work for all that the conversation had raised some very interesting questions. Then Rukia had come to visit, but hadn't stayed for very long before leaving. She wouldn't even tell him where she was going. Worst of all, she didn't even know what day it was. Then, he'd fought two huge hollows with some foolish, drunk hooligans and had been thoroughly trounced before Kurosaki had managed to intervene and save him.

To top it all off, today was the anniversary of Hisana's death. He'd gone to her grave early in the morning to give her flowers and to speak with her, but it felt like an empty gesture. He couldn't feel her presence anymore, and for the first time since her death he hadn't cried when he remembered her passing. Was he finally starting to move on? He wasn't sure if he wanted to move away from her. He loved her. She shouldn't have died.

Rukia had moved on decades before. She hadn't even remembered…

Still… he didn't want to think of that. What was something else interesting to think about? Sleep. Sleep.. Sleep… Sleep wasn't coming. He just didn't feel tired. He'd slept for maybe a half hour after going to bed, but had awoken for no reason. The lingering energy from being healed was keeping him up. He couldn't read or do work since he couldn't sit up on his own yet, so all he could do was lie there and think. What could he think about to pass the time?

Who was it that Abarai was in love with? That was a somewhat interesting question to ponder. It didn't leave him feeling hurt and vulnerable, which was a plus. Why wouldn't Abarai tell Kurosaki who he was interested in? Normally, whenever Abarai was interested in anything – food, women, or alcohol – he announced it to the world along with a bunch of uncouth expletives. That hadn't happened this time. In fact, if Ichigo hadn't pried, Byakuya would never have known that Abarai had interest in anyone.

It wasn't surprising really that Abarai liked someone. The man was social to a fault. Too often had he come to work hung over from too much partying the previous night! Every day it seemed that at least one of Abarai's friends came to invite him to their residence for a visit or a drink. Renji's crowd encompassed most of the Vice-Captains and many of the seated officers in the Gotei 13. It actually surprised Byakuya to realize that he hadn't heard of any of Abarai's romantic escapades for several years.

And why wouldn't Abarai pursue his love? Abarai was one of those types that went after anything he wanted, usually with passion and a charming flare. The Vice-Captain had a way with people that just drew them to him, despite his brashness and his temper. If he wasn't pursuing his love, then there must have been a reason.

The reason… It couldn't have been a fear of rejection. Abarai was fearless to the point of foolishness. Byakuya rejected him regularly, even going to the point of lecturing him whenever he did something even slightly wrong. Perhaps Abarai knew it was useless. Perhaps he loved a girl from a noble house, and she was unwilling to court a peasant. It wasn't unusual among noble families for the women to be snotty. Of course, it was equally likely for Abarai to be in love with a married woman. The man was very brazen, but he was also sensible. Byakuya couldn't imagine his Fukutaichou barging in on someone who didn't want him, no matter her situation.

Yes, Abarai really was a gentleman when it came to dealing with women. When dealing with men, however, he was as uncouth as could be.

But then… all day since Kurosaki's appearance Abarai had been subdued. For weeks now he'd been coming into the office on the required days and did all of his paperwork without complaint. He worked diligently and steadily, putting effort in to finish his work at the end of the day. He had always done what was required of him, but not without a ridiculous amount of whining, complaining and slacking. It was disconcerting to see his Vice-Captain serious, although when everyone else was around Abarai would maintain his usual loud demeanor.

When had Abarai learned to be so serious?

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

Renji woke slowly. He felt as though he were floating on a cloud. Slowly, he realized that he wasn't floating, but was actually lying on something soft. Then he felt a blanket covering him. Then he realized that his head was resting on his arm. Then, something touched his face, and he startled all the way awake with a small shout.

Oh. It was only his hand, which was just starting to get that pins-and-needles feeling from his head having cut off circulation. He let out a laugh of relief mixed with just a little bit of embarrassment. How retarded could you be not to know it was your own numb hand touching your face? He'd even yelled…

"Abarai, is everything all right?" Byakuya called from the other room, instantly causing Renji to stifle his laughter.

He poked his bed-messed head out the door and said, "Hey, Captain, how you feeling today?"

"I am fine," Byakuya said, although Renji noticed that he wasn't trying to sit up. "Why did you call out?"

Renji felt his face flush in mild embarrassment. He let out a nervous giggle and said, "My hand attacked me as I was sleeping. It scared the shit out of me, Sir."

"Your… what?" Byakuya asked, completely confused. Then he let it go with a shake of his head. "Never mind. I do not wish to know."

"You know, Captain, neither do I," Renji said with a laugh as he stepped fully into Byakuya's bedroom and looked around. When they'd gotten in the previous night – or had it been the earlier that morning? – the room had been cast in darkness except for the tiny lamp by Byakuya's futon. Now, with the sun streaming in through the paper door, the elegantly painted walls and wooden floor drew Renji's attention. He turned around and noted that the cubby he'd slept in, although much smaller and simpler in design, didn't lack for comfort. "Woah, nice digs!"

"Have you not been here before?" Byakuya asked from his futon, drawing Renji's eyes.

"I've only been in the entryway," Renji replied as he went over to his boss and helped him sit up. "But, I like the paintings on the walls. Are those Sakura petals painted there?"

"Yes," Byakuya replied simply just as there was a knock on the sliding door that led to the hallway.

The servant who'd knocked apparently thought that Byakuya had been talking to her because she slid the door open and bowed from where she was kneeling in the hall. "Would the master and his friend like some breakfast now?" she asked in a soft voice.

"Yeah!" Renji said enthusiastically.

Byakuya followed with a soft, "Yes, please. Bring us trays in here."

That was one thing that Renji hadn't really been prepared for the night before: the servants. It was obvious that Captain Kuchiki didn't need Renji there to help him change into pajamas or to go to the bathroom, because he had servants who did that for him. He had servants who had offeered food and tea, had turned down his bed, and had set up the adjacent room for Renji. All of his needs were met swiftly and professionally. But… he'd still wanted Renji around. In fact, Renji had sat by Byakuya's bedside until the stoic man had seemed to fall asleep.

The serving girl left and a male servant came in to help Byakuya visit the toilet. While his captain was gone, Renji neatened up his clothes and finger-combed his hair. After breakfast he would have to ask Byakuya if there was a brush or something he could borrow to pull his hair back properly. It would be less itchy during the day if he could at least brush it. Maybe he'd have a spare tooth brush, too?

By the time Byakuya made it back into the room, the food had arrived and Renji was elbow deep in his bowl of miso soup, slurping loudly. The servant shot him a look of disdain as he deposited Captain Kuchiki back onto his futon, but he left before his master noticed. Renji hadn't missed it, though, but he didn't give a shit. The food was amazing, and he wanted it in his stomach where it belonged.

Five seconds later, though, when he finished his food, he noticed his captain watching him. The expression on the older man's face was stoically clear, but his eyes held some amusement. "What?" Renji asked in defense. "It's good food. You should eat some."

Captain Kuchiki calmly picked up his soup and sipped it gingerly. Then he picked up his chopsticks and placed a small bite of spicy fried fish into his mouth just as Renji downed his whole cup of tea. "Damn, that shit was hot! I mean, it was fresh cooked and steamy, but the fish was spicy!"

Byakuya's amused eyes slid over to his eating companion, and Renji noticed that when Byakuya was in a good mood his dark eyes seemed to sparkle. It was actually quite attractive.

"I'm surprised you were able to taste the fish, considering how quickly you inhaled it," Byakuya said in a bald tone.

"Yeah, well, I'm surprised the tea didn't set my mouth on fire, because it was boiling," Renji shot back lamely. He watched as his Captain ignored him in favor of eating his breakfast. He watched as Byakuya gently placed each small morsel of food into his mouth and delicately chewed it before swallowing. It was a simple, elegant dance, and Renji had to tear his eyes away before he was completely enthralled.

"When you go in to work, make certain that the duty roster is signed and that you prepare for tomorrow's assignments," Byakuya said, snapping Renji's attention back to him.

"Yes, sir," Renji said automatically. He already knew what paperwork he'd have to do before he went out and trained some of the new recruits. After so many years of watching his Captain do the work, he felt he could do it for a day.

"Also, be sure to fill out the payroll report. It needs to be turned in to the payroll department if you and the rest of the division wish to be paid."

"Yes, sir," Renji said again.

Byakuya seemed to lapse into thought for a moment before he said, "Actually, I believe I will accompany you to the office. I have a few remarks to put in…"

"Fuck you will!" Renji interrupted loudly as he slammed his chopsticks down on the lap table with a bang and a clatter (a few dishes moved, but fortunately none of the broke). "Captain Unohana told me that you aren't going to work today, and damn it, Captain, you aren't going to work today! You are going to relax and heal, and definitely _not_ go in to work!"

"Abarai, your language…" Byakuya started in a warning voice, but Renji simply talked over him.

"My language sucks, I know. But even with my fucking swearwords you aren't going to fucking step one fucking foot in the fucking office or anywhere in the fucking Gotei 13. Are we fucking clear?" he demanded, dropping the F-bomb wherever he fucking felt like it.

Byakuya's lips pursed into a straight line, but his eyes sparkled with mirth. "I think I understand, Vice-Captain."

"Good," Renji said. Then he sighed. "But I agree; I can definitely stand to use better language. Maybe sometimes I should say 'shit' or 'god damned' instead of just 'fuck' all the time."

If Byakuya pressed his lips together any tighter he wouldn't have any more lips. But the twinkle in his eyes only grew, so Renji figured that he hadn't overstepped his bounds too much.

Then he noticed the timepiece next to Byakuya's futon and leapt to his feet. "Holy Shit! I'm going to be late! Later, Captain. Don't torture your servants. It's not their fault you got beat up!" And before Byakuya could say a single word – about Renji's tardiness, about his servants, or about Renji's language – Renji used Shunpo to dart out of the mansion.

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

Renji trudged home from work in the dark. He'd known what Byakuya did during the day, but he'd never realized how productive the other Shinigami was until he'd been stuck doing both his job as well as his Captain's. He worked for over twelve hours, but he still felt that he hadn't actually accomplished anything. If it hadn't been for Hitsugaya offering to help out with some of the formalities, Renji felt that he wouldn't have been able to head home at all that night.

Shit, he was tired! He wondered once again how his Captain was faring at home, surrounded by servants. He wanted to go visit him, but he couldn't figure out what explanation to give for his presence. Hitsugaya had formed out all of the required paperwork, so he didn't have that as an excuse. Nothing had really gone wrong during the day, so there were no problems to report. Truthfully, he didn't think that he would make it home if he stopped at the manor first. He wasn't prone to embarrassment, but he would feel his Captain's wrath if he fell asleep unwelcomed in his home. He'd already intruded enough the night before; he doubted Captain Kuchiki would want him there for a second night.

Needless to say, it was a surprise when he saw the male servant from that morning waiting outside his apartment door. As he approached, the servant stopped leaning against the wall and bowed to him respectfully.

"Hey, Man, what's up?" Renji asked once he'd gotten close enough to speak in a normal volume. "Is everything okay with the Captain?"

"Master Kuchiki is recovering well," the servant said as he straightened up. "He wishes for Master Abarai to come back to the manor to report on his day at work. He offers you a meal and a warm bed for the night, should you decide to oblige him."

Really? He'd get to stay the night again? That was awesome! And this time, he'd have a chance to pack some supplies, so maybe he'd be prepared for the next day. "Sure. Just give me a moment to grab a few things?" he asked the servant.

"I will be waiting here whenever you are ready, Master Abarai," the servant said. Renji quickly unlocked his door and grabbed a few toiletries before darting back out into the hall and locking his apartment door. With a bow, the servant started leading him out of the building and toward the Kuchiki manor.

"Hey, man, I'm sorry, but I never asked your name," Renji asked when the silence grew uncomfortable.

The servant seemed surprised that Renji had spoken to him, but he still managed to respond politely. "My name is Tetsuya."

"It's nice to meet you, Tetsuya-kun. You can call me Renji."

"No, I do not think that is permissible," Tetsuya said. "Master Kuchiki will be angry if I addressed his guest so informally."

"Boss pays the bills," Renji acknowledged. "I can respect that."

The rest of the trip was made in silence. When Renji finally made it to Byakuya's room, he was barely on his feet. He plopped on the futon next to his Captain and said, "Hey, how are you doing?"

Byakuya set his book down on the little table next to the dim little lamp and shot Renji a narrow-eyed glare. "Abarai, in polite company you wait for an invitation to enter a room and you do not sit on their bed."

"Well, Captain, you're sick in bed at home," Renji said carefully, trying to keep his words from slurring tiredly. "I had a really long day – nothing bad, just a shit-ton training and a shit-load of paperwork that Hitsugaya helped me with. Pardon me if I don't give a fuck about stupid manners that don't matter if you don't let them.

The Kuchiki Head-of-House raised one delicate eyebrow before letting out a resigned sigh. Renji felt himself listing a little bit to the right and forced himself to sit up straight – okay, maybe not straight, but at least he was a little more vertical. "Abarai, how much sleep did you get last night?" Byakuya eventually asked.

"Ummm…." Well, he'd gotten a couple hours before being dragged off to the hospital. So it must have been… "I guess about four hours?" he guessed. "Maybe three."

"You have been gone from here for fourteen hours," Byakuya stated evenly. "I will summon dinner for you, and then you shall get some sleep."

Renji nodded in agreement. "I'm not stupid enough to argue with that."

Byakuya rang a little bell that was sitting next to his book. A servant entered and Byakuya snapped out some orders for food and a clean sleeping yukata to be brought for Renji. For his part, Renji was leaning over Byakuya, trying to get his eyes to focus long enough so that he could read the title on Byakuya's book, which appeared to be a very serious classic fiction. It figured that his Captain would like to read smart-people books like that. He was a smart guy and would naturally find entertainment in the written word, unlike Renji who wasn't so good at it. Comics were more Renji's style.

"Abarai, can I assist you with something?" came the soft, dangerous voice in his ear. Renji looked up and found himself nose-to-nose with Byakuya. Somehow, when he'd been leaning over he hadn't realized that he'd completely leaned into Byakuya's space, and was leaning over the injured man's lap just an inch away from his chest.

He sat back quickly and said, "Sorry, Captain. I was just curious about your book."

Byakuya's eyebrow rose again, but this time in curiosity. "You enjoy reading?"

"Oh, Fuck no," Renji said. "I barely learned to read when I was training to be a Shinigami. Books like that one you're reading are hard; they're like a different language to me."

Byakuya opened his mouth to ask another question, but there was a knock on his sliding door and the food arrived. In classic Renji style, the redhead inhaled his food (Yum! Teriyaki!) while giving his Captain a garbled rundown on his day (because he was talking with his mouth full, which seemed to gross Byakuya out). When he was done (in three minutes) he asked what Byakuya had done that day.

After Byakuya said that he'd eventually managed to sit up on his own and had been reading, Renji felt his eyes droop. He jerked his head up, but his eyes just wanted to stay shut. After a moment – damn, that book sounded boring – he decided to get a little more comfortable, so he stretched out next to Byakuya so that he was half on the noble's futon with his head propped up on his hand near Byakuya's feet and his own feet were resting off the bedding on the wooden floor. When his hand refused to keep his head up for a second more, he dropped it down onto the soft mat, floating away to the sound of Byakuya's soft voice.

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

Byakuya let out a sigh before he rang the bell. Renji had just managed to completely fall asleep sprawled on the edge of Byakuya's bed. When the servant arrived, Byakuya ordered a blanket to be brought in from Renji's quarters to be lain over his sleeping Vice-Captain. The poor man was exhausted. He could barely stand, and he'd tried to listen while Byakuya had answered his question about his novel. Once he realized that Renji only needed a nudge, he'd done something quite unlike himself – he'd kept talking. His book was actually quite an interesting mystery, but he'd started explaining the plot of his grandfather's magnum opus – a dreadfully dull book about a political romance that had been written far too many years ago.

With a chuckle at how easy it had been to lull his Vice-Captain into sleep, Byakuya picked up his book and opened it to his book mark. He could get a few more pages in before he himself felt tired enough to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: I was made aware that Tetsuya is the name of an OC owned by StarFireOne. Sorry to steal the name (not really, because it's an awesome name!) but I'm not stealing her character. He's got a very minor thing I'm going to do in this chapter, so he's not got an important roll in this story. Just wanted to make that clear. Also, sorry for any inconsistencies in this chapter. I should really re-read past chapters before I write/post things. But... had finals this week for my Accounting class, which is one of my worst subjects and therefore I was studying like crazy. Studying eats time, I noticed. Anyway, if you find any problems with this chapter, please drop me a line so I can fix it. Thank you!

* * *

Renji woke up cuddled against something awkward and hard. But… it wasn't hard on the outside. It was soft, like it was covered in a nice blanket. In fact, _he_ was covered in a nice blanket. When had that happened? This solidly soft thing he was cuddled up to was oddly shaped. It was long and ran down Renji's body – he was sprawled halfway over it– and the flat part that pointed upward was tucked safely under his chin. Wait… was one of those upward-pointed parts moving?!

With a shout of surprise Renji rolled off the futon and sat up. Byakuya was lying completely awake on his futon watching Renji with a light in his light eyes. "Uh… Captain…" He looked outside and noticed that 1) the shoji doors to the back garden were opened and 2) it was daylight. "What time is it?"

"Never fear, you are already quite late," Byakuya said.

"Shit!" Renji ran into his little room and grabbed his bag, which he didn't remember putting there, but that was beside the point! He grabbed his brush and a spare hair tie along with his toothbrush and proceeded to try and put his hair up at the same time as brushing his teeth. It didn't work, so he did one and then the other before rushing back into Byakuya's room, where the noble was sitting up quite comfortably in his bed.

"Unfortunately, you seem to have forgotten that today is your day off," the noble said calmly as Renji paused for breath. "Our squad does not have work today, so the paperwork can wait."

"Whaa…?" Day off? Today was Sunday?

Byakuya didn't answer the unspoken question, but the light in his eyes got brighter as Renji stood there staring at him with his jaw on the floor. "Oh," was all Renji could muster.

"Sit." Byakuya ordered. Renji dropped to the floor and quickly crossed his feet comfortably. Then a female servant knocked on the sliding door and with a bow offered breakfast. When Byakuya accepted, two male servants entered carrying wooden trays laden with food, one of which they placed in front of Renji while the other was set up across Byakuya's lap.

Once they left the room became awkwardly silent. Unconcerned, Byakuya picked up his chopsticks and began eating in that regal manner of his. Renji picked up his bowl of soup and started sipping – an attempt at polite manners. "Soo…" he said. "Where's Tetsuya?"

"Hmm?" Byakuya asked, his eyes looking confused.

"Tetsuya – your servant. He helped you out yesterday," Renji clarified.

"I know who he is," Byakuya replied. "I don't see why you are asking about him."

Renji shrugged and put his soup bowl back on the tray. "I was just wondering why he wasn't around. He didn't get fired or anything, did he?"

Byakuya sighed, but his eyes seemed to sparkle. "It's Sunday," he said in an irritated tone. "You and I aren't the only ones who have today off. All of my servants have two days off every week. Today and tomorrow are the days Tetsuya is free to do as he pleases."

Renji nodded. It made sense. Byakuya was a cold man, but he wasn't heartless. But suddenly he was starving, so he threw those thoughts out of his head and started guzzling his soup. That's when Byakuya spoke:

"So who is the person you like?"

Renji blew the soup out of his mouth all over Byakuya's bed. He sat there in terror, watching a thoroughly disgusted Byakuya drop the Kido shield he'd thrown up to protect his person. "What the FUCK Captain?! Why the Hell did you ask me that?" he demanded.

"Had I known that you would react in such a manner I wouldn't have," Byakuya bit back. He grabbed a corner of the wet blanket and pulled it off of himself, revealing thin legs and knobby knees sticking out from under a white… nightie. Renji supposed there was another term for a man's nightie, but he didn't know what it was.

"Sorry, Captain, but I didn't expect you'd ever ask me _that_, of all things! Usually you don't stoop so low as to give a shit about my personal life, even if it makes me late," Renji grumbled as he started blotting the droplets off of his tray and his front – seriously, the spit from his epic spit-take got everywhere – and he barely glanced up in time to catch Byakuya's reaction.

Byakuya's mouth quirked up into a very hansom smirk as he said, "Normally, I only know you in a professional capacity. Now we are in my home – in my room – and I am injured in my bed wearing my bedclothes."

"And… you have nothing to do all day except think…" Renji muttered, catching on to Byakuya's train of thought. Then he groaned. "Damn that Fucking Kurosaki! He shouldn't have said anything in front of you!"

Byakuya looked affronted at that. "Is it such a big secret that you must keep it?" he demanded.

That made Renji stop. Byakuya actually looked hurt. Was keeping that secret so hurtful? Normally he'd think that Byakuya didn't give a shit about any of his peons, but the guy did know exactly which days of the week Tetsuya had off. When Renji had fallen asleep he'd woken in the same place where he'd crashed out, and Byakuya still hadn't mentioned the fact that Renji had been cuddling his legs as he slept. He knew that the man felt things deeply, but rarely showed what he felt like when he'd loved Rukia even when he was letting her die.

"Sorry, Captain," he said after a moment. "I just… can't tell who it is. I can't love them, so I shouldn't even tell anybody about it."

Byakuya cocked his head to the side in contemplation as he studied Renji. "I was thinking on this the other day, and I figured that the only people to whom it would be unacceptable for you to display your affection include women of the high classes or men of higher status than you. Seeing how you do not put up with the high-class female attitude of entitlement, it would seem you are attracted to a man, correct?"

Renji's jaw dropped, but he felt his head slowly move up and down in a nod.

"Then I was thinking that the men who you would be most familiar with are of the Gotei 13. Therefore, you would probably be attracted to either a seated officer, a fellow Vice-Captain, or a Captain. Am I still correct?"

Renji felt himself nod again. How much time had the Captain spent thinking about this?

Byakuya nodded. "Although relationships between officers are discouraged, as long as the officer is from another division. Kyoraku and Ukitake are prime examples of two Captains who have a relationship with one another."

_That doesn't work if the one you love is your own Captain, does it?_ Renji snorted his derision. "Captain, I don't think a guy as fucked up as you is in a position to give me dating advice."

The light in Byakuya's eyes disappeared as if a switch had been flipped. "Excuse me?" he asked in a completely cold voice.

"Well, Captain, I don't see you dating anyone right now," Renji snapped. "In fact, you haven't expressed interest in anyone since your wife died!" What was he doing? He shouldn't be saying these things! "You took in Rukia, and you couldn't even admit that you love her like a sister until you beat the shit out of me!" Seriously, he needed to shut up now. "You don't show anything but apathy to anyone else, despite all the people who love you and care about you. What makes you think you can tell me about love when you can't even get your shit together?"

It was all true, but Renji couldn't believe he'd just said that to his captain. He stood there, gasping for air after his loud speech, unmoving. Byakuya had gone completely still, his eyes opened wide in shock. They stood there, staring at each other in stunned silence for a very long minute.

Eventually Byakuya seemed to pull himself up straight and said, "I was only trying to say that I doubt homosexuality is a valid reason to be intimidated by a relationship possibility so long as the other man is a member of a different division. I did not mean to offend."

Renji tried to straighten his clothes and pat down his hair, even though neither had been mussed as he'd shouted at his love. It was more to buy time to gather his thoughts than to actually fix his appearance. "Yeah, well I'm sorry I yelled, Captain. I shouldn't'a done that."

"Apology accepted," Byakuya said with a small nod. Then he rang the little bell by his nightstand to summon a servant. Renji had spit soup all over his food, so he ordered another breakfast to be made for himself. Renji noticed that a second breakfast was not re-ordered, so he dug into the remainders of his meal – effectively managing to ignore the soup that had been spit over everything.

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

Renji found himself out in the garden outside Byakuya's room at about midmorning. Byakuya had asked him to help him up, although he'd been able to manage that mostly on his own, and then escorted him outside. While he'd been helping his captain to walk, he received a biting lecture on the delicate art of assisting someone politely. Apparently a simple arm offered – at the correct angle, of course – was all that was needed for one man to offer another some help in walking.

Once Byakuya was seated on a bench Renji said, "I don't give a fuck about the proper way to offer a damned arm for help. If you don't want it when I offer it, you can just say 'no.'"

Byakuya seemed to let out a breath in irritation before he said, "You are a friend of Rukia's, and a friend of hers needs to know the proper way to do things when dealing with the clans. Since this situation did arise, it was an opportunity to teach you a lesson in proper etiquette."

"Who the fuck gave you permission to teach me anything?" Renji demanded. He supposed he was still steamed about their argument over breakfast. Otherwise, he didn't think he'd have the balls to be this uppity with his Captain. Although, Byakuya didn't seem to be wearing his "Captain's hat" that morning.

Byakuya seemed to be grinding his teeth. "Nobody gave me permission," he admitted tersely. "An opportunity for conversation presented itself, so I assumed that the tidbit I offered would be accepted as the conversation-started it was intended to be. Clearly, I assumed wrong."

Damned right he did, but since he didn't mean any harm by it… "Man, if you want to teach me this shit, you should just give me a fucking lesson on it."

Byakuya seemed to think on that. Renji tensed. Byakuya wasn't supposed to _think_ on it! Then Byakuya nodded and said, "Then tonight we shall conduct a lesson after the Shinigami Women's Society meeting."

"Wait… you go to the Shinigami Women's Society meetings?" Renji asked, a confused smile spreading on his face. At Byakuya's nod he said, "Umm… Captain, when did you become a woman?"

"I am not female," Byakuya said. "I do, however, take notes for Rukia when she is unable to attend. Matsumoto-san enjoys making fun of me whenever I go, so I do find it quite uncomfortable."

No kidding! Matsumoto managed to make most people feel uncomfortable at one time or another on a fairly regular basis. As a feminist, she could become terrifying. "Good luck, Captain."

"Abarai," Byakuya said after a minute of silence. "Sit."

Renji looked around. The spot next to Byakuya on the bench was free, but he didn't know if that's what Byakuya meant when he'd told him to sit. There weren't any other seats nearby, so Renji moved to sit on the ground.

"Abarai, do not sit there," Byakuya snapped. "Sit next to me."

Renji stared at the spot next to Byakuya as if it had grown a head. "Sir?" he asked.

"I did not intend for you to become dirty by sitting on the ground," Byakuya explained. "Come sit next to me."

"Umm… Okay." Renji tentatively got up and moved to sit by his boss slowly. Once he was seated, he sat stiffly, prepared to run if Byakuya changed his mind.

The Kuchiki heir, for his part, didn't seem to be paying him any attention. "You know, Hisana loved this spot," he said in a soft voice. "She did not appreciate much about the manor, but she loved sitting here in this garden watching the sunset."

"It's morning, Captain," Renji said. "I doubt we're going to see a sunset right now."

"Of course not," Byakuya snapped, but he managed to calm himself immediately. "She would sit here for hours, reading or sewing, writing letters or conducting the business of the house. When I came home she was usually here, waiting for the sun to set. The orange light that cut through the trees shone off her black hair, bringing out the brown highlights you couldn't see at any other time. It was simply… stunning."

"You still miss her, don't you?" Renji asked.

Byakuya sighed. "Not so much anymore," he replied soberly. "I find that these days I think of her less and less. It makes me wonder if I am beginning to move on."

"It sounds like it, Captain," Renji murmured, his heart in his throat. Was Byakuya going to confess something? Tell him a big secret? He'd already said a lot. Please, please, _please_ don't let him clam up now!

"What I'm saying, Abarai… Renji… is that I do understand love and how painful it can be when it cannot be returned. If you ever wish to discuss this matter, I am here to listen."

Renji just stared at his Captain. Eventually, he was able to get his vocal chords to work. "Thank you, Captain. I'll take that under consideration."

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

There. He'd done it. He reached out to his Vice-Captain. Rukia would be ecstatic. Of course, she would be hoping that more of that Yaoi crap would be going on, which it certainly wasn't.

Although, the man had slept on his legs, cuddling up to his feet and tucking them under his chin as if Byakuya's bottom half was a security blanket or stuffed toy a child might cuddle in the night. It had made him uncomfortably warm throughout the night, but Renji had looked in such a poor state that he loathed moving. It was just as well, since his tender ribs wouldn't have allowed for movement anyway.

Even now, outside in the cool morning breeze sitting next to Abarai after his offer of support, he felt the heat flowing off of his Vice-Captain. The man simply radiated heat, making Byakuya comfortable despite the chill. It was oddly… comfortable.

He decided right then that he would try to make the redhead his friend. If anything this injury proved was that Byakuya had very little. His wife was dead, his sister was moving away, and he had no true friends. Renji, of his own volition, had yet to leave. Byakuya got the feeling that if Renji had gone to work, he would have been back later that evening to check in. The man way loyal, no doubts about it.

Abarai stretched, and the breeze caught the sour scent of armpit and blew it directly into Byakuya's face. The noble repressed a wince, but the smell was pretty acrid. With a crack of his back and a yawn, Abarai lowered his arms back down to his sides and said, "Hey, Captain, would you mind it if I took a bath? It's been a couple days and I'm sure I smell."

He sure as Hell did, but Byakuya wasn't about to say it. "There is a bathroom attached to my room," he said instead. "Feel free to use it."

Renji beamed at him as he stood up. "Thanks, Captain. I'll catch up with you after."

"Sure…" Wow, he could move. Abarai must have felt dirtier than he smelled. Byakuya smiled. Abarai was already brightening the mood in the manor, and he'd really only been awake for a few hours.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I greatly apologize for letting my life get in the way of my writing. I had two jobs and I was working on a hard MBA class (Damn finance...) and I was so busy that I forgot all about this story. Now that my life has slowed down considerably, I've picked up writing again. I figure that this story will be finished in about two chapters. Thank you for bearing with me, and I apologize for how short this chapter is.

* * *

Renji looked up from his book for the millionth time and looked at Byakuya, who hadn't moved. How could he not have moved? It had been, like, a whole minute since he'd looked last! Renji was fidgeting like he was at work right before the tea break. Not that the bath he was in wasn't nice just… watching someone be so still was soooooooo uncomfortable.

Not as uncomfortable as it would be if Byakuya realized that Renji could see him through the little window in the room. It had been placed there so that the bath-taker could see the garden during his bath, but Renji had just the perfect view of Byakuya sitting on the bench reading his book… he wanted to reach down and touch himself… but since the walls were made of paper Byakuya would hear. So… he was antsy.

Byakuya was just beautiful in the midday light! His long black hair hung down his back in a soft cascade, the lighter brown highlights showing only where the sun hit them directly. His white yukata clung to his thin form snugly, showing off his broad shoulders and his thin waist. The soft features of his face, at least what little of it Renji could see from the back, were drawn back in a tiny smile of amusement. Clearly the book he was reading was more entertaining that he'd let on the previous night.

Aww… for Fuck's sake… He slowly lowered one hand into the water and gave himself a gentle stroke. Then another. Then he gripped his hardening dick gently in his hand and started fiddling with the tip. He couldn't let himself be heard, but it felt good to see the handsome figure sitting on the bench enjoying his book. Byakuya never enjoyed doing paperwork with Renji – Kami knows that Renji hated it, too. Seeing his Captain's cheek pulled up in an amused quirk was just…

Shit! With a sudden jerk Renji came into the tub. His hand had progressively increased the friction on his dick until just the thought of Byakuya's smile had sent him over the edge. Man, he had it bad! Fuck, he need to get laid, if he came with just a few quick rubs and a thought about a _smile_ he couldn't fully see.

With a groan he leaned back in the tub far enough to submerge his head. He couldn't be that pathetic, could he?

When Renji came up for air, it was to find a servant in the bathroom. The young man – more a boy if Renji was any judge – had huge eyes that were bugged out and his posture was stiff with surprise.

"Uh… yo," Renji said, raising a peace sign to the startled youth.

The boy managed to regain his composure, but Renji could still feel the smile on his face at the humorous sight. Then the kid bowed and said, "Master sent me. Would you like a massage?"

What? "Uh… no, thanks," Renji said as he started to raise out of the tub, pulling the drain with his toes as he did so. No need for the kid to see a tub full of milky water, even if that one detail was hardly noticeable without knowing what had just happened. Renji grabbed a towel and started drying himself off.

"In that case, Lord Byakuya requests your presence in the garden for tea.

Renji looked down at himself and then back at the kid. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

xxxXxxXXXxxXxxx

"Renji, I'm surprised that you weren't interested in a massage," Byakuya commented as Renji approached the bench where the black haired noble still sat.

Renji shrugged. "I like them, but it was weird hearing a boy offer it," he admitted. "He was a little nervous."

"Ah. Kazuya hasn't learned tact quite yet. He's still new."

Renji felt his eyebrows rise. "You're being awfully nice about it," he said with a smile twitching his lips up. "You're quite a bastard at work, you know."

"I prefer to be nice to nephews of my Head Butler who have only been working here for a week," Byakuya said after a brief hesitation, causing Renji to laugh.

"Who would have thought that you were such a nice guy?" he asked as he sat down next to his boss.

Byakuya's lips seemed to twitch, but the sparkle in his grey eyes only served to prove that he had seen the humor in what Renji had said. "Well, his uncle was the butler here when I was a child, and when nobody else is around he never hesitates to remind me that he paddled my ass when I was a kid and he's not afraid to do it now if he feels it's necessary."

"He must be a formidable man," Renji commented with a grin.

"Yes, he can be… when he's well enough to stand. These days he is mostly retired, running my household from his office a few days every week."

It really was touching to see how much Byakuya cared about his staff. Without thinking Renji put his arm around Byakuya's shoulders and pulled him in. "Oh, just admit it, Captain, you keep him around 'cuz you know you need someone to pummel your ass every now and then. If you don't you turn into a right bitch, and then Rukia comes to me to whine about it. So, I know you keep him around for my sanity."

Byakuya seemed to stare at the hand that was on his shoulder for a moment as Renji spoke before looking Renji dead in the eye. "I do not."

"Oh, yes you do, Captain!" Renji rebutted with a smile. "I know you secretly love me and adore me and think I'm an awesome Vice Captain, but you're too big of a horse's ass to admit it, so you keep your favorite butler around not only because you love him lots, but because you don't want Rukia to hurt me. And I thank you for that."

Byakuya just stared wide-eyed at Renji before he seemed to grit his teeth and sigh. "What is it with you and asses?" he asked, resignation in his voice.

Renji shrugged and gave Byakuya a peck on the cheek before patting the man's back and retreating –using shun-po – out of arm's reach. "I guess I like them… just a bit," he said before he disappeared out of sight.

What… the HELL… had that been about?" Byakuya wondered as his cheeks lit up red like a sunburn.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: It has been brought to my attention that there are some discrepancies with my story. I messed up. This chapter is to fix some of those discrepancies, such as Bakuya's complacency and the fast pace when I set up this story as a slow burn. Drop me a line to let me know what you think! Please and thank you!

* * *

What the hell had he done? What the HELL?! How the… How the HELL had he gotten away with it? Kissing Byakuya on the cheek? For that matter, hadn't he just told Rukia a few days ago that he'd given up hope of ever having a relationship with his Captain? It was unethical, it was unlikely, and… and… WHY THE HELL HAD BYAKUYA JUST LET HIM KISS HIM ON THE CHEEK?! Seriously, why weren't there flower petals tearing him apart right now?

He turned back, looking the way he'd come. Nothing was following him; there were no shouts, no enraged captains, and, most importantly, no flying flower petals of doom. Unnerved by this lack of hostility, Renji opened the door to Byakuya's room and froze when a servant hurried past, almost bumping into the redhead in the doorway.

When had Byakuya's room been transformed into a kitchen?

He turned back around and realized that the hallway looked different. Apparently he had gone the wrong way and ended up in the kitchen.

Oh, well, he may as well go in. The elderly butler guy was at a counter pouring tea, but he'd stopped to stare at Renji as he'd entered. So… acting like he belonged there (although he figured everyone knew he didn't) he walked up to the butler guy just as the older man pulled a small flask out of a hidden pocket in his robe and poured a little splash into Byakuya's tea.

What… the… HELL?

Renji was too close to the man to stop, so he continued over. The butler guy – what was his name again? Oh… it was Takayama-san – anyway, Takayama-san gave him a challenging look as he hid the flask back in his robes.

"Umm…" Renji said very intelligently. "What was that you just put into the Captain's tea?"

"Opium," was the simple reply.

"Wha…?"

Takayama-san sighed and lifted the tea tray and started heading out. Because he hadn't been dismissed, Renji started to follow him.

"Captain Unohana told me the first time Master Byakuya was injured for Soul Society that if he refused to take his pain medication, as he always does, that I was to dose him every four hours with that concoction," the butler said. "It eases his pain and makes him more honest."

"What do you mean more honest?" Renji asked. Was it a truth serum or something?

"Well, it sort of takes away his inhibitions a little. He's more… he's less severe and he's more passive. If you drug him and give him a good mystery, he'll sit in the same place all day, forgetting his pain."

That… made sense. It probably wasn't ethical to slip drugs into his drink, but if he wouldn't take pain medication…

So that's how he was able to move after only a day! He didn't feel it! It was an opiate cocktail, so it probably had other pain killers laced in it. "Is that shit illegal?"

"I don't think so…" Takayama said as Renji opened the door for him. "I doubt that the Captain of the Fourth Division would give me something illegal with which to dose the Captain of the Sixth. However, as you can understand, I would prefer it if this were never explained to the Master. He would not be appreciative of our care once he regains his severity. I doubt he would approve of your language very much at that time, either."

That's right! He'd been swearing like a sieve all day, and the Captain hadn't said a word. He'd actually been quite… nice about it.

Renji followed the butler guy to Byakuya's room and slid open the door for him. It was kind of weird that Takayama bowed as he entered the room, but Renji thought nothing of it until he stepped into the room and saw the white-haired shinigami sitting in the middle of the room. Suddenly, he realized that there had been three cups on the tea tray and not just two along with a second tea pot.

"Ginrei-Sama…" Renji said, stopping in his tracks.

The ex-head of the Sixth Division turned to face the doorway. "Ah… my grandson's Vice-Captain. I was told you were staying here until Byakuya sufficiently recovered to return to work."

"Erm… I didn't have it planned that specifically, Sir," Renji said.

Ginrei seemed to look Renji over. Renji felt his spine stiffen due to the scrutiny. Was this guy judging him? He'd fail. His tattoos would make a stuffy man like him think nothing of him. The tattoos came from Zabimaru! Not his choice! And besides, Byakuya didn't have issues with his tattoos! It was everything else about Renji that he disapproved of, but his tattoos were safe…

Ginrei let out a sharp laugh, effectively dragging Renji's attention back to the present. "Would you like to join me for a cup of tea?"

Renji hesitated for just a moment before he moved to sit across from the old Badass. "I hope you aren't planning to give me tea out of that teapot," he said, pointing at the teapot with the opium dose.

The gray-haired Kuchiki let out another laugh as he picked up the second teapot and poured black tea into two cups. "I don't feel like having anyone compliant to my wishes except for my grandson. It's the only time he ever agrees with me on anything."

"He doesn't get along with you?" Renji asked as he picked up his teacup and took a sip. Damn, that shit was yummy! Way better than that green crap Byakuya usually drank.

"Well, we do sometimes," Ginrei said. "We've had a rocky road. He has relaxed a lot in recent years. I would like to know the cause and give the perpetrator a reward."

Sweet. "That would be Rukia, Sir," Renji said. "It was her near-execution and the Captain's grave injury that caused him to open to his emotions."

Ginrei looked at Renji over the rim of his cup mid-sip. Then he put his cup down and met Renji's gaze. "Tell me, since his injury the other day has Byakuya rebuffed you at all?"

"What? No…" He hadn't… that was odd…

"Has he demanded you leave him, do anything you wouldn't normally do, or serve him?" Ginrei asked.

"Uh… no, he hasn't," Renji said slowly.

"Does he normally have no complaints or reservations about you? Is he normally so content with your behavior or appearance?" the famous Kuchiki asked. "If I know my grandson, I doubt he would hold back any comments or criticisms that crossed his mind."

Now that he thought about it… "No, he hasn't bitched about a thing, even my language."

"Haven't you wondered why?" Ginrei asked with a smile.

Renji shrugged. "I was just thinking it was because he was being doped."

Ginrei chuckled as he took another sip of tea. "Well, that is true, but not for the reasons you probably think. The opium cocktail does not take away free will. It makes him complacent and calm; it doesn't change his personality. Most of the time he puts on a persona in public: a coldhearted and professional one where he is portrayed as a tough perfectionist who demands such perfection in others."

"He is," Renji said. "He's constantly bitching to me about every little thing I do wrong! I don't come in to work on time; I don't speak properly; I don't think things through thoroughly; I can never do anything right, and every time he tells me so!"

"Actually, he does sweet things," Ginrei corrected gently. "I've heard that when Rukia misses Shinigami Women Society meetings he will go in her stead. He draws awful pictures to try and explain complicated concepts. He hired you on as his Vice Captain because you have a talent with people that he lacks. He is constantly correcting you because that is what I did to him, and he cares enough about you to want to make you into a strong Captain."

Old gray man say what? "He's an ass to me because he likes me?"

Ginrei chuckled again, and Renji stifled a grimace. He wasn't trying to be funny! "It isn't as simple as that," Ginrei said gently. "I taught him to be strong and tough. He hides his true love an feelings, as I'm sure you are aware. The people he wants to succeed he pushes, and he holds to his public persona as an ass while he does it. Because of me he feels he can't be himself anymore, and the events of his sister's near-execution made his persona break. Now he is finding a compromise between his persona and his heart."

"And how do I come into this?" Renji asked. He wasn't sure what exactly Ginrei was talking about. Could Byakuya… have feelings for him? Even if it was just simple friendly affection, Byakuya could like him and that's why he pushed him so hard?

"I think Grandfather is trying to tell you that I don't hate you as much as you think I do." Renji turned to see Byakuya standing in the open doorway leading to the garden. He hadn't even heard the door slide open.

However, he couldn't let Byakuya catch him flat-footed. "Hey, Captain, does that mean that you really have a crush on me? Because, Sir, I love you too."

Byakuya and Ginrei seemed to freeze just as Renji realized what had slipped through his mouth.

Shit.

"What?" he demanded defensively, as though he didn't know the meaning behind what he'd just said.

"Nothing," Ginrei said, but Renji wasn't convinced that nothing had just happened. There was a false note in the elder Kuchiki's voice.

They lapsed into an awkward silence while Byakuya poured himself a cup of green tea. Renji watched as Byakuya took a sip and set his cup back down.

"I go back to work tomorrow," Byakuya said into the silence. "I hope that the staff doesn't dose my tea in the morning. I need to be clearheaded to perform my duties appropriately."

Renji couldn't help it: he started to giggle. Figures that Kuchiki would know his tea was spiked. He drank the stuff every day. Of course he could tell the difference!


End file.
